Middlesbrough 1 Norwich City 1: match report

Read a full match report of the Championship game between Middlesbrough and
Norwich City at the Riverside Stadium on Monday, January 3, 2011.

Opening strike: Norwich captain Grant Holt squeezes home to give his side the lead but Middlesbrough fought backPhoto: ACTION IMAGES

By Rob Stewart at the Riverside Stadium

6:52PM GMT 03 Jan 2011

Norwich manager Paul Lambert insists that survival rather than promotion remains his priority even though his club have now climbed into second place in the Championship table.

Norwich may be upwardly mobile but Lambert played down the growing prospect that he is threatening to guide last year’s League One champions into the Premier League.

“The main objective for us is to stay in the league and it always has been from day one,” Lambert said. “Maybe if we are still in the mix on the last day of the season in May then I might start thinking differently.

“But it is monumental what the lads have done. They are running on empty and I have big players out at the minute but they have great desire not to be beaten and are playing really well at the moment. It has been one hell of a run. They’ve been exceptional.”

Lambert’s side, seeking a fourth successive win, were given a good run for their money by lowly Boro after taking an early lead through captain, Grant Holt, whose 12th-minute goal took his tally this season to 12.

Simon Lappin’s cross was flicked towards Aaron Wilbraham, who flicked on to Holt, and even though his shot from an acute angle was tame, the ball squeezed past goalkeeper Jason Steele at his near post.

Boro raised their game following a leaden and ponderous start to draw level in fortuitous circumstances as right-back Russell Martin diverted Julio Arca’s pass beyond John Ruddy.

Wilbraham should have restored Norwich’s lead in the 38th minute when he dispossessed Matthew Bates but thumped his shot into the side-netting before redeeming himself by blocking the defender’s goal-bound shot shortly afterwards.

As Norwich ran out of steam and relied on counter-attacks, Boro finished the stronger, and Justin Hoyte saw a shot hit the woodwork while David Wheater had a goal disallowed for pushing at a Nicky Bailey free kick and Barry Robson was denied by a brilliant Ruddy save.

Boro manager Tony Mowbray hailed Wheater, who is poised to leave Teesside this month with Stoke, Wolverhampton Wanderers and Everton tipped to be chasing the centre-half, whose contract expires this summer.

“He is a menace and threat in the opponents’ penalty box and was magnificent at the back,” Mowbray said.

“The more weeks we have to play him the better it is and if Feb 1 comes and he is still here then so be it, but it is important we don’t let big assets walk away for not the right value.”

As for the relegation fight, Mowbray warned: “We have to turn tight games into victories.”